If you are using a fast growing blue, for example, you will get a very different flavour and texture profile if you spike on day 5 or week 5. This is because break down of the internal paste has occured on the older cheese to a greater extent before the blue has been allowed to attack it.

Interesting, so for a mild taste yet fully veined blue you will want a low lypolitic strain of blue and pierce late to get alot of protolytic action and creaminess?

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Amatuar winemaker,baker, cook and musician not in any particular order.

I used a square skewer with pointy end and only pushed halfway through, with all the holes they are more than likely connected from one side to the otherI hope things will work.this is one of the changes I wanted to apply (5 weeks lots of holes and 12 to 14 weeks ageing period then vacuum seal)now I am committed and what the heck GO FOR IT!!!!

I pierced it again today 12 day's between piercings, looks great, allot different than the first one the rind has been turning brownish and has smelled , not like pine sole but a nice blue.kept it at 90% RH and around 51 deg, F only six more weeks till it's 3 months oldwe can Waite, we still have 12 oz of the first one in sealed bags and some in the fridge that has been picked at , sliced, tasted and some stole by the dogs ( sneaky little buggers) I think we can wait the three months

Saturday will be 2 months, smells nummy , we still have some of the first Stilton, but gettin low, I am looking for three months then I will vacuum bag it as a whole, If, we are still eating the last one I am thinking time to start another, the Wife just smiles

I had to go to Oregon last Tuesday, and did not want to leave the cheese in the cool room while I was gone, I think the temp would have been to high, I change ice around the ageing container daily when I am home to keep the temp around 50/54deg.the day I left we placed it in a sealed container and placed it in the bottom drawer of our refrigerator, when we got home last night I took it out and placed it back in the ageing container and am letting it get back to 50 or so degrees I wanted to age it until it is 12 weeks old and then vacuum bag does anyone think that this will make a bad affect or ruin the cheese or should I just vacuum seal it now at ten weeks old?it looks and smells great right now but I did want the extra ageing time on this one

I have decided to cut and vacuum seal this saturday We took what was left of the last one to Oregon and some how it disappeared from my cooler my brother and in-laws could not believe you can make homemade blue cheese of any kindwe had so many compliments I almost couldn't fit my swelled head back into the car to come home

We did it, cut it up and vacuum bagged the veining is much more intense and has more of the blue bite I have wanted creamy melt in yer mouth tang, went along great with club crackers and smoked oysters MMmmMm